


Larry's Night

by JackbeThimble



Category: Alexandra Quick, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Reaction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-27
Updated: 2020-01-27
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:22:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22439467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JackbeThimble/pseuds/JackbeThimble
Summary: After leaving Alexandra in her room to 'sleep it off' Larry returns to the Junior Wizarding Decathlon Ball to deal with the fallout.
Relationships: Larry/Adela, Larry/Alexandra
Kudos: 10





	Larry's Night

**Author's Note:**

> This was written as a reaction between the release of Chapter 41 and Chapter 42 of AQATWA and I don't anticipate that it will age well as events and characterization march on. However it was written not to contradict anything that had occurred and as of Chapter 42 it remain 'Canon-compatible'.

“Merlin, you’re a mess, Troublesome.” Larry said. “Go to bed. Sleep it off.”

He disapparated with a pop and re-appeared back on the same balcony he had vacated minutes earlier, only to discover half a dozen wands pointed at him.

The dark balcony overlooking New Amsterdam was now crowded with red- and black-clad aurors. He saw Adela leaning against the stone railing, gorgeously made-up and glaring at him. Facing her was the same small, bald wizard who had been standing at the Governor General’s side in the entrance hall. The one whom Quick had accused of breaking her wand at the Charms Trial. Larry couldn’t remember his name.

The bald man turned towards Larry, who had slowly raised his empty hands as the aurors held him at wand-point. “Unauthorized apparition is not permitted on the grounds of the Governor General’s Mansion Mr. Albo.”

Larry looked the man in the eye. “I’m sorry, I thought it would be alright if I left from the balcony. A younger witch had had a little too much to drink but she didn’t have an apparition license. I just wanted to make sure she got back to her room safely.”

“That’s gallant of you, Mr. Albo.” The bald wizard stepped closer, his voice low. “Would this young lady happen to have been the Ozarker Decathlon Champion?”

Larry paused. “Yes.”

“I see. Gallant indeed to take such care for the well-being of your opponent. And what condition was she in at the time you left her? Shall we send someone to check on her?” the little man asked, still in that irritating sibilant voice. The man made the word ‘Gallant’ sound like an accusation.

Larry blinked, glancing again at the aurors who had still not lowered their wands. “She was fully alert and conscious when I left her, Mr…”

“...Raspire. Are you quite certain Mr. Albo? The Governor General would not want any harm to come to a champion in his house and if Ms. Quick were to get up to some mischief tonight he might have to insist that you be disqualified from this competition.” Raspire’s voice was getting softer as he spoke, Larry had to resist the urge to lean forward to hear him better. 

Larry was not left with any doubt that Quick had told the truth when she had accused Raspire of sabotaging her wand that morning. The mention of the Governor General put him on edge, as he was sure it was meant to, and the threat that followed it brought a sudden sensation in his stomach as though the balcony beneath him had fallen away and he was plunging to the street below. He was glad for the steadiness learned from years of dueling- he was certain none of the shock registered on his face. Even so, Larry could see a glint of triumph in Raspire’s eyes and silently berated himself for allowing the little man to get the upper hand over him. 

Then he let his stoic facade fall and he chuckled. “Mr. Raspire, last I saw Quick she was safe and sound in her room, awake and fully capable of looking after herself. What she does now is no business of mine. If the Governor General really wants to hand the Gringott Grail to Abraham Thorn’s daughter, then by all means he can dismiss me whenever he wants. I compete here at his pleasure.”

It was finally Raspire’s turn to blink. The aurors around them looked discomfited and Adela actually gasped. 

“Bold of you, to name the Enemy of the Confederation in this house boy.” Raspire replied finally.

“Mr. Raspire, I’ve met Abraham Thorn. He was scarier than you but not so scary that I’d call myself bold for saying his name. Maybe if more of the Champions here could bring themselves to say it they wouldn’t be having so much trouble with his 16-year-old daughter. And ‘Mr. Albo’ is fine thank you.”

Larry’s heart was pounding, and he could feel an involuntary twitch in his leg that he hoped was concealed by his robes. But his face was haughty and confident and he met Raspire’s eyes steadily.

Raspire’s face was also a mask. “Bold, gallant _and_ reckless. No wonder you and Ms. Quick made such a lovely couple Mr. Albo. Well I should leave you with your companion. No doubt she will want to congratulate you on your _gallantry_. And of course you must both prepare for your challenge tomorrow. The Governor General and I wish you luck.”

_If this bent wand says the word ‘gallant’ one more time I’m ready to try my luck against four aurors._

But the Aurors were sheathing their wands and turning away to follow Raspire as he swept away back into the mansion. Larry could have sworn one of them winked at him behind Raspire’s back as he turned away.

When they were alone on the balcony, Larry drew in an let out a long deep breath and turned to Adela, whose continuing scowl could not quite hide her relief as Raspire and the Aurors left them in peace. “Are you alright?”

“Go fuck yourself Larry.”

Larry sighed and rolled his eyes as he followed Raspire back inside.

*****  
When Larry made his way back to the Ballroom he quickly reoriented himself then headed over to the corner where he had last seen Quick before she walked over to him. He found the side table where she had been standing. There were still two punch-glasses there, one nearly empty and the other nearly full.

“So what did you and Troublesome get up to?”

Larry turned. Adela had apparently followed him from the balcony.

“Just like I said, I took her back to her room and left her there. Nothing happened.” Larry turned back to the table and picked up the two glasses.

“Sure, because you’re just such a cursed gentleman. You know I knew you were a spiteful prick but I didn’t think you’d stick it in that mudblood just to piss me off.”

Larry rolled his eyes again. Another day of conversations with Adela and they were going to get stuck. “Adela you were obviously following me. I was gone for what? Two minutes tops?”

“I know from personal experience you can get off in half that time.”

Larry had heard that one before. _Merlin, of all the people I could have lost my virginity to…_

Adela continued. “I was trying to look out for you, you know. After what that bitch pulled on you at the Winter Ball that time I figured you’d be more careful.”

Larry paused in smelling each of the punch glasses in turn and looked back at Adela, he handed her the nearly empty one. “What does this smell like to you?”

She wrinkled her nose. “Ugh were you using this as an ashtray?”

_Figures._

Larry pointed his wand in the glass and muttered. ‘ _Tergeo._ ’ The remaining liquid vanished, along with the smell of damp autumn air and burning leaves. Larry cast a siphoning charm on the other glass for good measure then put them down as he scanned the room.

Amortentia _causes the drinker to fall in love with the person who gave them the potion._

Larry knew there were ways of brewing it to target it more precisely but he also knew that _Amortentia_ could be notoriously fickle and imprecise. There were libraries full of trashy novels and plays about people falling for the wrong person under its effects (Larry should know, Adela’s dorm room had been full of them). Larry knew he hadn’t dosed Quick but the flask of _Amortentia_ he’d brewed for the potion challenge was still in his room in Crown Hall. Maybe if someone had stolen it and dosed her indirectly it might have somehow defaulted to target the potion’s creator?

And who might have done that? Wade or Ethan maybe? They had both been in his room plenty of times since the Potions Challenge. It didn’t feel likely though. For one thing he didn’t think either of them would stoop to bewitching a girl’s drink and for another he doubted either of them would risk crossing Quick so directly without Larry to back them up. Another champion? Harriet Isingrim was probably feeling bitter tonight and she hadn’t exactly distinguished herself for honor or fair play.

Larry glanced around looking for his friends but couldn’t see them. Last he’d seen Ethan he’d been slipping out a side door with a red-headed New Amsterdam student and from the looks of things Wade had made a similar exit at some point.

 _No point making accusations before I’ve checked on the potion anyway._ He thought. It was probably best to check all the potions while he was at it. There was far too much cloak-and-dagger nonsense going on in this competition for him to risk someone tampering with potions he might need.

“So what are you just ignoring me now?” Adela demanded.

_I’m trying but you’re not making it easy._

Larry sighed. “Look: we’ve both got this challenge tomorrow and it’s getting late. Whatever the challenge is we’re probably better off if we’re both rested. I’m going to head back to Crown Hall you want a lift?” Adela’s seventeenth birthday wasn’t for several months so he assumed she had no apparition license.

Her eyes widened. “Merlin you are bold! Thinking I’d want to go home with you after that stunt you pulled tonight!”

“What? I wasn’t....” _Well, I walked into that one._ “Fine, whatever. Enjoy the party. Maybe you can do a set with that Raspire guy he seemed into you.” Larry strode (not merely walked- he’d spent months perfecting a proper stride for just such exits) back across the Ballroom in the direction of the front entrance. He was unsurprised when he noticed Adela was again following him.

*****  
Larry had passed through the antechamber, between the two Giant Guardsmen and was on his way to the Governor General’s gardens when he turned to ask “So does this mean you need a side-along after all?”

Adela stopped short and was opening her mouth when a burst of red light flew out of the darkened shrubbery behind her and struck her in the back. She screamed and was knocked flat. Another curse struck the pavement near her, a sinister black vine emerging from the small crater and reaching towards her.

Larry’s wand was out in time to cast a blocking jinx and deflect the third curse, also aimed at Adela. Then he pointed his wand towards the origin of the spells and cast a charm which launched a shining gold projectile into the air. The hex burst over the gardens, releasing a cloud of shining gold dust that clung to three human figures hidden in the shadows. Larry had stunned one before they could get their bearings. A second figure shot a curse at Larry which Larry deflected directly back, the figure was knocked down and did not rise. The third, smaller attacker turned and vanished.

Larry instinctively spun to look directly behind him to find a wolf charging at his back. He cast his shield charm without speaking, almost without thinking, and the wolf collided with his shield as it tried to maul him. It was knocked back, snarling at him. 

‘ _Impedimentia_ ’ he muttered, blasting the wolf off its feet and to the ground. The wolf struggled futilely against his jinx.

Larry quickly conjured a muzzle onto the wolf’s jaws and, for good measure, a chain with a collar around its neck anchored to a nearby lamppost before turning towards Adela.

Adela was writhing on the ground, still groaning in pain, a groan which turned into a shriek as the slimy black growth created by the earlier curse reached towards her.

‘ _Incendiare_ ’ Larry set the vine alight and it was quickly consumed. Scanning the surroundings for any more attackers he jogged over to Adela and knelt beside her. She was clutching the small of her back, where he saw a hole had been blasted in her dress. Larry ripped the dress further to expose the wound and saw an angry red welt on the skin underneath, steadily growing, with signs of inflamed veins spreading out from the site.

‘ _Finite Incantatem_ ’ seemed to arrest the growth of the wound. A cleansing charm reduced the inflammation as well and a numbing charm calmed Adela’s wails of pain.

Larry looked Adela in the eye. ‘Hey, I got it, it doesn’t look too bad. Are you alright?’

Adela had tears in her eyes but she nodded and gripped his hand. He pulled her to her feet, supporting her with an arm around her shoulders as they turned towards the wolf, or rather the blonde girl struggling in her chains.

To Harriet Isingrim’s evident disappointment, the collar on Larry’s conjured chain had adjusted size to fit when she’d transformed. Larry was kind enough to vanish the muzzle he’d conjured though. Isingrim snarled at the two of them.

“Get this off of me!”

Larry shook his head. “I’m thinking no. You can wait like a good girl, it should wear off in half an hour or so, around when your packmates come to.”

Harriet let out a wordless growl that made Larry wonder if she’d botched something in her transformation back to human form. “Why are you protecting her?”

Larry raised an eyebrow. “Uh, there’s this challenge tomorrow, she’s my companion?” he heard Adela sniff beside him.

Harriet looked confused as she stared at Adela for the first time. “What? Who’s…” Larry could see realization dawn.

He sighed “You thought she was Quick.” Adela gasped in shock and fury while Harriet started to babble.

“It was dark! I just saw her hair! I saw you two leaving together…” from the slight slur that was starting to become apparent in her voice, Larry suspected Harriet had been one of the ones sneaking some of the adult refreshments behind the troll guard’s back.

While Harriet and Adela spluttered at each other Larry glanced at Adela again. He supposed if you only saw her from behind, with her sleek, straight black hair, he could see how you would make the mistake.

Actually he was having trouble unseeing it.

“Look!” Harriet cut into his thoughts. “I’m sorry, okay? Honest mistake. I’m not going to do anything to you can you let me go?”

Adela looked oddly torn but Larry snorted.

“So this is, what, the third time you’ve tried to cheat? How’s that working out for you? You know it doesn’t actually help after you’ve been disqualified right?”

Harriet went from begging to baying again in record time “Shut up! You don’t know anything! This is just a game to you isn’t it? You think the Enemy cared about rules when he murdered my father or all those other people? You think that little bitch will care when she curses you in the back? You piece of filth blood traitor I saw you dragging her off. Hoping to make some half-breed bastards of your own?”

Larry wasn’t smiling anymore. “Firstly, in your position I’d avoid calling someone else a ‘bitch’. Secondly, Dark Wizards play dirty because that’s the only way they win. They’re cowards who don’t have the guts to fight in the open. You don’t beat them by playing their game you beat them by forcing them to face you in the open wand-to-wand. That’s how Quick beat you, that’s how I beat Quick _and_ you, and that’s how I’m going to beat her again in the dueling competition. So just sit and heel and stop cheating for five minutes and I’ll wrap this up for you alright?”

Harriet spat at him. “Let me go!”

Larry shook his head. “I think you could stand to cool off a bit. Tell your friends if they ever take a shot at me again they’d better not miss.”

He turned to Adela. “Are you ready?” At her nod, they disapparated.

*****  
Adela moaned with pain as they apparated outside his room at Crown Hall. 

“Hang on.” he muttered to her as she slumped against him. “I’ve got some Dittany inside. _Alohomora_.” The door to the room swung open and he helped her down onto his bed. He turned towards the trunk where his potions were stored. 

As he dug through the wizard space inside the trunk he heard her voice. “You actually believe that horseshit don’t you?”

He found the Dittany and turned. She was sitting up, her pain seemingly much reduced since she had made it into his room.

He handed her the Dittany. “Which horseshit?”

She took it. “Facing them in the open wand-to-wand, show no fear, honor and glory and _gallantry_ , blah blah-blah. All that Harry Potter garbage.”

He turned back towards his trunk. “Adela, the Elect built the Confederation right? And you and your dad and the PPL all say we still deserve to rule it right?”

“We do rule it, and we will for as long as…”

“Why?”

“What do you mean? We built the confederation! All its power, all it’s knowledge. Charmbridge and all these other incredible feats of magic that the radicalists and blood traitors are filling up with Mudbloods…’

“Our great-great grand-whatevers built it three hundred years ago. You and I weren’t there what did we ever build? They beat the Indians, sealed away their power, built Roanoke and New Amsterdam and Charmbridge and all of it. They built it, we just live in it. Hoard our grandfather’s knowledge in schools so we can keep the muggle-borns out while we fill our regiments with half-bloods to fight our wars for us. Our grandfathers built the confederation we’re just sitting in it while it rots, too busy keeping everyone else out to bother repairing it. Our ancestors came from the Old World to make their own way and never be bossed around by anyone again but we don’t even care about our own freedom anymore. We let Hucksteen push us around like he’s a king, build his huge palace with a couple of Hexed giants at the front door to keep us in line. As long as we can ‘rule’ everyone else we don’t care if he’s ruling over us. We haven’t deserved any of it for decades. Maybe centuries.”

Adela’s voice was spiteful again “So what, we just tear it all down? Run off to lie with muggles like the Enemy? Give it all to the squibs and mudbloods and savages and goblins because we’re just not _worthy_ of it anymore?”

“We make ourselves deserve it again.” Larry had found the _Amortentia_ , he pulled it out of the trunk and examined it. The flask appeared full and smelled just like he’d left it. The lock and wards on his trunk had been intact and he didn’t see any signs of mischief on the trunk or anywhere else in the room. He couldn’t be certain, but he doubted that the _Amortentia_ that Quick had taken had been taken from his room. None of the other potions looked like they’d been tampered with either.

Adela had been quiet for a moment. She spoke up: “So I guess that means you _are_ going to rescue me tomorrow.” She was trying to be flippant, but he could hear a note of something else in her voice.

He turned, still holding the bottle. “Of course, as long as there’s time after I’m done fucking myself.”

She glared at him. “What’s that?”

“The _Amortentia_ I made at the Potion Challenge. I wanted to check if any had been stolen.”

She frowned. “Why.”

He pulled out the stopper on the flask. “Here, you’ve smelled it before.”

Adela wrinkled her nose. “That cup…”

“Was Quick’s, Someone slipped her some _Amortentia_ to make her come after me. When I saw that she was acting crazy I took her back to her room and left her there. Then I came back.”

“And you didn’t…”

“No.” Larry rolled his eyes again. “What exactly do you think is so irresistible about her bony ass?”

“I don’t know Larry, why don’t you tell me? Why don’t you tell me why you walked over and asked her to dance in front of-”

“I told you I was bewitched. I think it might have been her father-”

“Oh right the hexed _Enemy of the Confederation_ Imperiused you to dance with his daughter did he? Merlin and was he the one who made you obsess about her for months-”

_It’s like taking a Time-turner back three years._

Even as he recognized the futility of it all, Larry heard himself playing the same role again “That’s doxy crap, you were the one obsessing about her getting you kicked out of the JROC-”

“I wasn’t kicked out I quit! And did the Enemy apparate in and, I dunno, _confound_ you to make you break up with Bathsheba Anderson over some duel with Quick? Yeah I heard about that. I notice she’s not here to be your damsel in distress.”

There was a long pause.

Larry broke the silence. “So why are _you_ here? Wanting to see your name in the papers? Or are you just here to sabotage me maybe? Risky but I guess I wouldn’t put it past you.”

“They told me no one else would come.”

That stung, Larry knew it was meant to.

Adela went on. “She’s going to get you killed you know that? It’s what she does. The janitor, her brother, Darla Dearborn, your own _fucking fingers_. You just got yourself in a standoff with the Governor General’s man tonight. You know Hucksteen will remember that. And for what? Keep telling yourself it’s just because you want to beat her. You’ve been beating her fair and square again and again for years and you just keep going back until you get burned. What body part are you losing this time Larry?”

Larry didn’t have an answer, especially with this hexed _Amortentia_ open and wafting right into his face. He smelled pine needles and damp air and fallen leaves and wood smoke. That smell was the dueling club, and the fire pit and the forests around Charmbridge and he knew it. Sometimes he even caught a whiff of blood and dead flesh and he expected to see Quick rushing past him, drawing that thing away. Breaking through wards and getting herself expelled all to save _him_. Other times he just saw bright green eyes glaring at him. Knowing that death was coming but too proud to ever beg for help.

He only noticed Adela had stood up when she pulled the flask out of his hand. There were fresh tears in her eyes. As she held it up she muttered “Merlin’s taint, your fucking cigarettes.” She shook her head ruefully then drank half the flask in one go.

Larry stared up at her, watching her pupils dilate, her gaze eerily fixed on him. She leaned forward to kiss him. He smelled Autumn in Charmbridge on her breath as she pressed the flask into his hand. He started to lean into it, pulling her close as he ran his silver fingers through straight black hair. Just as he was ready to throw caution to the wind, he felt a sudden, sharp pain as Adela bit his lip.

He pulled his hand away and shoved her away from him. She fell back onto the bed, her ripped dress opening wider, any lingering pain from the hex forgotten as she grinned at him maniacally. He held a hand to his lips.

Adela’s grin never slackened as she said. “I hate you so much Larry.”

He stood up. “It’s okay, we can still do this.” He quaffed the rest of the _Amortentia_ and threw it away. “I’m pretty sure I hate you too.”


End file.
